The adoption of plug-in electric vehicles in the Netherlands is actively supported by the Dutch government through the exemption of the registration fee and road taxes. These purchase incentives have been adjusted over time. Considering the potential of plug-in electric vehicles in the country due to its relative small size and geography, the Dutch government set a target of 15,000 to 20,000 electric vehicles with three or more wheels on the roads in 2015; 200,000 vehicles in 2020; and 1 million vehicles in 2025. The first two targets were achieved two years earlier than planned.
The Dutch plug-in market was dominated by plug-in hybrids until 2016, when the tax rules changed after it became apparent many users rarely used the electric motors and only bought the cars for their tax advantage. In 2019, plug-in electric passenger cars had a market share of 14.9%, and rose to 24.6% in 2020, with battery electric vehicles dominating sales in both years. , there were 390,454 highway-legal light-duty plug-in electric vehicles in use in the Netherlands, consisting of 137,663 fully electric cars, 243,664 plug-in hybrid cars, and 9,127 light duty plug-in commercial vehicles. The fleet in circulation of plug-in electric passenger cars represented 4.3% of all passenger cars in Dutch roads at the end of 2021, up from 3.1% in 2020.
, the Netherlands was the country with the highest ratio of slow charging points to electric vehicles (EVSE/EV), with a ratio of more than 0.50, while the U.S had a slow EVSE/EV ratio of 0.20. The Netherlands' mix of slow and fast chargers has allowed it to become the country with the highest number of charging point per capita in the world. , there were 11,768 public slow charging points available 24/7, 14,320 slow charging point with limited public access, 612 public and semi-public fast charging points, and over 72,000 private charging points.
Government incentives
Considering the potential of plug-in electric vehicles in the country due to its relative small size and geography, the Dutch government set a target of 15,000 to 20,000 electric vehicles with three or more wheels on the roads in 2015; 200,000 vehicles in 2020; and 1 million vehicles in 2025. The first government target was achieved in 2013, two years earlier, thanks to the sales peak that occurred at the end of 2013. According to official figures, 30,086 plug-in electric vehicles with three or more wheels have been registered in the country through 31 December 2013. See under the heading "31-12-2013" for total registrations figures at the end of December 2013.
Initially, the Dutch government set incentives such as the total exemption of the registration fee and road taxes, which resulted in savings of approximately for private car owners over four years, and for corporate owners over five years. Other vehicles including hybrid electric vehicles were also exempt from these taxes if they emit less than 95 g/km for diesel-powered vehicles, or less than 110 g/km for gasoline-powered vehicles. The exemption from the registration tax ended on January 1, 2014, and thereafter, all-electric vehicles pay a 4% registration fee and plug-in hybrids a 7% fee.
In addition, the national government offers through the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment a subsidy on the purchase of all-electric taxis or delivery vans. This subsidy increases to per vehicle in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, and Arnhem-Nijmegen metropolitan area. An additional subsidy is offered by several local government for the purchase of full electric taxis and vans, in Amsterdam and in Limburg and Tilburg. See Financial stimulation, pp. 8.
In Amsterdam EV owners also have access to parking spaces reserved for battery electric vehicles, so they avoid the current wait for a parking place in Amsterdam, which can reach up to 10 years in some parts of the city. Free charging is also offered in public parking spaces. EV owners in the city of Rotterdam are entitled to one year of free parking in downtown and enjoy subsidies of up to if they install a home charger using green electricity. The city also introduced in 2014 a scrappage program to remove old polluting vehicles to improve air quality in the city. Rotterdam offers a incentive for business buyers to replace the old vehicles with all-electric vehicles. The subsidy is only available to the first 5,000 applicants that buy an eligible vehicle before the end of December 2013.
Other factors contributing to the rapid adoption of plug-in electric vehicles are the relative small size of the country, which reduces range anxiety (the Netherlands stretches about east to west); a long tradition of environmental activism; high gasoline prices ( per litre compared to 40.4 eurocents per kWh as of October 2023), which make the cost of running a car on electricity substantially cheaper; and also some EV leasing programs provide free or discounted gasoline-powered vehicles for those who want to take a vacation driving long distances. With all of these incentives and tax breaks, plug-in electric cars have similar driving costs than conventional cars.
Initially, sales of plug-in electric car were lower than expected, and during 2012 the segment captured a market share of less than 1% of new car sales in the country. As a result of the end of the total exemption of the registration fee, the segment sales peaked at the end of 2013, and plug-in electric car sales reached a market share of 5.34% of new car sales in 2013. The total cost of the tax exemptions for the Dutch treasury of the more than 22,000 plug-in electric vehicles sold in 2013 was estimated at ().
EV car sharing On November 24, 2011, Amsterdam became the fifth city in the world with a Car2Go carsharing service, and the first in Europe with an all-electric fleet. A fleet of 300 Smart electric drives is available on-demand. , these Car2Go vehicles and other electric cars in Amsterdam had access to more than 320 charging stations in the city area. The number is expected to increase significantly up to 1,000 by end of 2012.
Charging infrastructure
, the Netherlands was the country with the highest ratio of slow charging points to electric vehicles (EVSE/EV), with a ratio of more than 0.50, while the U.S had a slow EVSE/EV ratio of 0.20. The Netherlands' mix of slow and fast chargers has allowed it to become the country with the highest number of charging point per capita in the world. There were 80 CHAdeMO quick charging stations across the country by April 2014.
The number of charging stations increased from 400 units in 2010 to 1,841 in 2011. , there were 3,521 slow charging points available 24/7 to the public, up from 2,782 in December 2012; 2,249 slow charging point with limited public access, up from 829 in December 2012; and 106 public and semi-public fast charging points, up from 63 in December 2012. , the country's charging infrastructure consisted of 11,768 public slow charging points available 24/7 up from 7,395 in December 2015; 14,320 slow charging point with limited public access, up from 10,391 in December 2015; 612 public and semi-public fast charging points; and over 72,000 private charging points, up from 55,000 in 2015.
As part of its commitment to environmental sustainability, the Dutch government initiated a plan to establish over 200 recharging stations for electric vehicles across the country by 2015. The rollout will be undertaken by Switzerland-based power and automation company ABB and Dutch startup Fastned, and will aim to provide at least one station every for the country's 17 million residents.
As of September 2023, there were 147,340 publicly accessible charging points in the Netherlands, 5,043 of which were categorized as fast (>22kW).
The average price per kWh at a public AC charging point in the Netherlands as of September 2023 was 40.4 eurocents. Large price differences exist within small neighborhoods for equivalent public charging points in the Netherlands for a myriad of reasons, such as overlapping public charging concessions granted to different private companies.
Sales
, there were 297,380 highway-legal light-duty plug-in electric vehicles registered in the Netherlands, consisting of 182,481 pure electric cars, 108,652 plug-in hybrids, and 6,247 all-electric light utility vans. When other vehicle classes (buses, heavy-duty truck, mopeds, etc) are accounted for, the Dutch plug-in fleet on the road climbs to 382,721 units. A distinct feature of the Dutch plug-in market until 2016 was the dominance of plug-in hybrids, which represented 80.8% of the country's stock of passenger plug-in electric cars and vans registered at the end of December 2017. The shift to focus incentives on battery electric vehicles was due to a change in the tax rules in 2016 after it became apparent many users rarely charged their plug-in hybrids and only bought the cars for their tax advantage.
The number of registered electric cars increased from 68 in 2009, See table 2.8: "Personenautoregistraties (verkopen) naar brandstof" (New Passenger Car Registrations by Type of Fuel Used), pp. 23 for the number of all-electric cars registered between 2007 and 2009. Other years show figures mixed with hybrid electric vehicles. through 395 in 2010 to 1,182 in 2011. Registrations reached 6,258 plug-in electric-drive passenger vehicles through December 2012, of which, 4,348 were range extending or plug-in hybrids. Registrations in 2013 rose to 29,342 plug-in passenger cars, of which, 24,512 were plug-in hybrids. The registered light-duty fleet climbed to 45,020 units in December 2014, consisting of 36,937 plug-in hybrids, 6,825 all-electric cars and 1,258 all-electric utility vans. With 43,971 plug-in passenger cars and utility vans registered in 2015, the Netherlands ranked as the world's third best-selling country market for light-duty plug-in vehicles that year. About 520,000 highway legal light-duty plug-in electric vehicles were sold worldwide in 2014, with cumulative global sales reaching 1,235,000. The United States is the world's leading market with 411,120 units sold since 2008, followed by China with 258,328 units sold since 2011. The Netherlands ranks fourth with 88,991 light-duty plug-in vehicles registered by the end of 2015. With 43,971 plug-in passenger cars and utility vans registered in 2015, the Netherlands was the world's third best-selling country market for light-duty plug-in vehicles in 2015.
Until December 2015, the Netherlands had the world's fourth largest light-duty plug-in vehicle stock after the U.S., China and Japan, and also had the largest fleet light-duty plug-in vehicles in Europe. Sales in the Dutch plug-in market fell sharply during 2016 after changes in the tax rules that went into force at the beginning of 2016. Sales during the first half of 2016 were down 64% from the same period in 2015. By early October 2016, the Netherlands listed as the third largest European plug-in market, after being surpassed by both Norway and France, and in the global ranking fell from fourth to sixth place. , the United States is the leading country market with a stock of about 450,000 highway legal light-duty plug-in electric vehicles delivered since 2008. China ranks second with around 300,000 units sold since 2011, followed by Japan with about 150,000 plug-in units sold since 2009, both through March 2016. European sales are led by Norway with over 100,000 units registered by the end of April 2016. , cumulative sales by country are led by the United States with a stock of more than 460,000 highway legal light-duty plug-in electric vehicles delivered since 2008. China ranks second with almost 390,000 units sold since 2011. Europe is the largest regional market with more than 500,000 plug-in electric passenger cars and vans registered through May 2016. The stock of light-duty plug-in electric vehicles registered in the Netherlands achieved the 100,000 unit milestone in November 2016.